Why is my newer BMW 1 Series less safe than the old one?

There has been a lot of noise about the abysmal crash safety rating of the MG3 Hybrid and rightly so. However, in the Euro NCAP frontal collision tests the new BMW 1 Series achieved the same score - 8.9/16 points, but there hasn't been a sound about it.

According to Euro NCAP: “Dummy readings indicated weak protection of the driver's chest, based on dummy readings of compression... Protection of the driver's left leg was also weak, with marginal protection the front occupants' legs in general… In the full-width rigid barrier test, chest protection was rated as weak both for the driver and the rear passenger, in both cases a result of compression.”

The F40 launched in 2019 scored 14.3/16 points. I'm particularly annoyed about this because I traded in my F40 for the new F70 before it had been tested by Euro NCAP. I had assumed it would achieve the same if not a better score.

While the MG3 result is shambolic the 1 Series' isn't exactly stellar considering it costs at least €20k more than a MG3.

Peter Barrins (Baldoyle)

Sep 2025 Filed under: safety

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Expert answer

Hi Peter,

We may not be comparing apples with apples here, as the Euro NCAP testing and scoring system is constantly evolving, and there were significant changes to it in 2020. I'd urge you to search the Euro NCAP site for information on what those changes were, because it's highly unlikely that BMW made a less-strong/safe car than its predecessor. 

A five-star Euro NCAP car of 2019 would be unlikely to get the same score today, for example, and not just because of changes relating to driver-assistance systems.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor